Sleeping under the Stars
by InquisitorAshlynn
Summary: Just another night traveling the world of Thedas and the Inquisition stops to rest. Due to some ignorant words, Cole runs off into the forest. It's up to the Inquisitor to bring him back home.


**This is just a short story, mainly about Cole and the Inquisitor. Cole struggles to let go of the past and his new friend is there to comfort him. I hope you like it.**

** In the future I might add on or add different emotional stories about each of the characters and their struggles. Being a fan of the Dragon Age series and the mushy gooey stuff in between, writing about romances and problems to overcome is a favorite. Keep in store and I might add more stories. Thanks for reading.**

** Now enjoy! :)**

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"So there I was, standing so close to death. They ran me to the edge of the world, pointing their sharp blades at me, encouraging me to leap. The end was nearing, but I wasn't planning on going down without a fight." Varric closed his fists tightly and stared intensely at his audience.

"What did you do then," Dorian said while curling his mustache around his finger.

Varric suddenly jumped up from his seat on the log and shouted, "What did I do?! I'll tell what I did! I fought like a madman! They didn't stop me from taking out a few of their group." Varric punched and kicked the air, giving his watchers an example. "But I couldn't hold them off forever..." His smiled faded and his head dropped.

"Did you die?" A familiar voice trailed from the back of the Inquisition group.

Everyone turned to see the idiot who said that. There was Cole leaning against a thick tree, staring into the night. He slowly turned towards Varric, who was still standing on the opposite side of the campfire. Cullen was the only one who didn't look and he said sarcastically, "Now who in the world would be dumb enough to ask that? I mean really. How stupid could you be—". Cullen stopped blabbing when he turned around to see Cole standing up, glaring and clenching his dagger. Cullen hopped up to his feet and started stuttering an apology.

"Oh Cole. I-i didn't mean it. It was only an accident..." Cullen begged. "If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have..." Before he could finish, Cole sprinted into the forest without looking back.

"Nice going Templar." Solas exhaled from under his breath.

"You hurt his feelings," Lelianna sighed, staring into woods where Cole disappeared.

"Come on Cullen. I was just getting to the good part," mumbled the dwarf.

Cullen, obviously feeling terrible, hung his head and muttered under his breath. He hadn't meant to hurt Cole. He knew the lad was a good kid. Hurting him was never his intention.

Near by, the Inquisitor heard everything. She looked sadly into the woods, then to the group. She sighed and stood up from her sitting place. "I will look for him."

Cullen snapped his head up. "Oh no Inquisitor. This was my doing. I will go." He got up and brushed the dirt from his armor.

"Don't be silly, Cullen." The Inquisitor paced towards him. "You're the one who chased him off. He doesn't want to see you."

The Inquisitor then raced into the dark forest, alone. She stopped when she came to a clearing. The trees around the small field swayed in the night, filling the air with a certain sadness. She shivered as she walked farther into the clearing. The sky was filled with billions of stars, shining brightly to light the path before her. She knew she wasn't alone here, but Cole was nowhere in sight.

As she started to jog back into the forest, a figure tackled her, bringing them to the ground. They struggled in the weeds and made their way to a small hill. They rolled down it, the figure, obviously a man due to the grunting she heard, pinned her to the ground when they reached the bottom. She felt a blade on her throat, the cold steel waiting to bite into her flesh. She squinted at the man. His face was darkened, but she saw his face retort when realization hit him, like a punch to the gut. He eased his grip and pushed off of her. Sitting on the ground, he scooted away, whimpering.

The Inquisitor slowly got up, and felt her neck where the steel touched. No blood. She rubbed her neck, grimaced and looked at the now crying man. Cole.

He was huddled in a nook of a tree trunk, rocking back and forth, crying softly from what he did to his friend. The Inquisitor was not scared. She knew him and she knew he would not hurt her. She swiftly made to his side and knelt down to comfort the young man.

"No! Stop!" Cole tried to scramble away from her. "I might harm you." There was fear and hurt in his quavering voice.

"Cole..." She extended her hand towards him, but Cole jerked out of her reach. He was frightened. His eyes were wide, full of emotion and leaving streaks down his dirty cheeks. She tried again, and her hand met his face. He trembled from her touch, but he did not retreat. She caressed his cheek and wiped the dirk smudges away.

From her touch, she felt him relax. "Cole, it's all right. You won't hurt me. I trust you." He gazed at her, eyes twinkling from the stars' reflections and lunged for her. His movement was unexpected and the two of them stumbled back to the ground. To the Inquisitor's surprise, Cole was holding her, hugging her tightly and sobbing. His head rested below her breasts, nuzzling her, but she did not care. She simply stroked his head and made comforting hushes like a mother would to her child.

Soon the whimpering stopped and all that could be heard was the nightly sounds of the wilderness. The Inquisitor laid there, rubbing Cole's head and staring into the sky. Faint snoring filled the air. She glanced down and let out a sigh. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

The sun rose over the trees, filling the clearing with warm light. It met the Inquisitor's face and she twitched her nose in response. She groaned, squinted her eyes and lifted her arm to hide her face. She tried to move, but something weighted her down. She craned her neck to see her body. There she saw Cole, still hanging onto her.

"Cole," she whispered. She stroked his head again. He stirred a little and whimpered. Suddenly, he rolled off of the Inquisitor in haste and scurried away from her.

"I'm sorry..." he mumbled through labored breath.

She leaned up sluggishly, her body still asleep from not moving for a long time, and rested on her arm. "There's nothing to apologize for," she smiled warmly at him.

He stared sadly at her, "I... almost killed you." The words made memories flood back and he turned away from her, tears forming again.

The Inquisitor got to her feet and walked towards Cole. She put a hand out, beckoning him to grab it. He looked at it, and reluctantly took it. She eased him up from the ground and quickly pulled him into an embrace. He was surprised, but he gladly accepted it. He returned the warm gesture. The two stood in the clearing, hugging until they heard shouts in the distance.

"I know that yell from anywhere," she said as she studied the treeline. "Come on, they're looking for us." She smiled at him and gently grabbed his hand. She led him back to camp and she swore she saw the faintest smile upon his lips.


End file.
